What We Do In The Shadows: "Jen..."
Summary: There are unexpected consequences when Laszlo seeks a new human familiar...
Part LXXVII...
Cravenswood-Relentless Manor...
As styled by Laszlo...
"Welcome to Cravenswood-Relentless Manor..." Laszlo beams to camera, expansive gesture... "Our new home and sanctuary..."
"Till we abjectly surrender and flee..." Nadja sighs. "I know we agreed it's the only way to escape our fates but shit...Our brand-new home, so spanking and clean and home theatered."
"Yes, love...But it's only a short while and then we'll be back. We are the owners, now, after all...Ginny and her daughters will move in with good ole Rick my history professor friend who'll I'm sure be delighted we're offering them custodianship of the place whilst I must travel for research on my latest book project. They'll keep it up right."
"I suppose." Renewed sigh.
"You could stay..." singsong voice of the Soul Doll. "Just a matter of Redemption."
"You mean you would stay, in here." Nadja, patting her chest with frown. "While I go unmerrily off to Hell. No way, kid." Hiss, baring fangs.
"Well, at least we'll do our reception first..." Laszlo notes.
"If the Count/Doctor accepts." Nadja frowns. "He has no reason to, just move in with his army of damned vampire hunters and his Slayer daughter and wipe us out."
"Nandor feels he'll respect the invitation...And seek a chance to persuade us to accept our Fate. It's a part of Redemption, it must be voluntary and 'desired'..." sour look. "As if..."
"Maybe...But is Dracula back from Guillermo's Aunt's funeral binge yet?"
"Not yet, neither is Gizmo...I guess they do things right in Mexico." Laszlo notes. "I'm hoping we'll have a chance to speak to the boy, see what he's learned..."
"Guillermo?" Nadja, slight snort. "I know we all feel he's gotten more confident and able and our ladies all love him, which is indeed impressive but...He remains...Guillermo."
"Well..." Laszlo sighs. "He has survived an encounter with the greatest of vampires and the ghost of the greatest of Vampire Hunters, there's that to his credit. Susan told Nandor our doctor Dracula seems to actually like him."
"I like my teddy bear. I don't expect he will defend me." Nadja, dryly. "And you know I mean you as well as the cotton-stuffed one in my coffin..."
"Just seeking useful intelligence my love. It can come from any source... Anyway..." Laszlo beams. "Tonight we sleep in beds again. Well, coffins in beds...But we get to see the sunrise, through opaque glass."
"Yeah, you did recheck that and the settings...?" Nadja, anxiously. "Maybe one of the workpeoples was a Van Helsing spy. There are more ways than one to vaporize a vampire."
"It's fine, dear...Have no fear. Now...Come on the bouncy cushions which now belong to us..." he bounced several times. "And lets watch Michael Scott destroy the American paper industry and embarrass the shit out of his staff."
"Like watching the daily life of Colin Robinson..." she notes, grinning. "Except he's not funny and his staff collapses from draining, not runs away to hide from him."
Hah...That's funny. Colin, watching from just outside doorway frame.
Not so funny as watching your agonized screams as you burn in Hell, but... Shrug.
"My G...OW! Shit! Look at the size of his nose!" Nadja, as the huge figure of 'Michael Scott' covers the far wall.
"He is rather cute..." the Soul Doll notes, making lips pucker. "Is he truly so stupid?"
...
Aunt Rosa's family ranch/estate...
"So..." Guillermo, seated by himself in Aunt Rosa's bedroom for a moment of reflection after the reading of the will in the living room, eyes camera. "I'm rich. Auntie left me and Roderigo everything, equally, though Roderigo wants me to take charge of the estate here asap unless we agree to have it managed."
Pause... "Is it ok to take a moment in all this and say...'Wow! I'm rich'." Slight sly smile.
"Thanks, Auntie." Eyes portrait of younger Rosa on the bedroom wall.
...
"I guess I was a little anxious before, but I'm in a good place right now..." Phyllis notes to camera with wan smile as she sits demurely in her black outfit in living room, guests standing or sitting in various spots, several family members circulating, particularly the muscular Roderigo in suit. "Isn't that wonderful about Guillermo? His aunt was so kind to leave him so much... I guess he and Sue will be very well set. Yeah, I've kinda accepted it will be Susan and him. I always knew I was a bit older and she's so lovely and sweet...It's fine. I just want him to be happy. Just so long as I can love and protect him from afar like my Lady Nadja or our Masters. Hello..." she nods to passing relative.
"I'll be fine." She returns to facing camera. "I'm anxious to get home now and help with the move and protecting the guys...Sue thinks the big confrontation will come when we return. She seems a little anxious about Dr. Acura, who is that famous vampire, Dracula? The one on TV all the time? I guess he's been reformed or something and is working with Van Helsing, which seems weird. But..." shrug. "Anyway we'll probably have to fight with him and the Vampire Hunters and maybe Simon Devious that other vampire. I'll guess it will be kill, kill, kill when we get home...But for now, it's all very nice." Wan smile. "And, of course I'll always be available for sex if Guillermo should care to try someone else or Sue should croak. I mean we're all sisters, now, right?"
"Oh, thanks, Sue." As Susan stops by with a small plate of cake. "You wanna talk to the guys?"
"Hey..." wave, taking seat by Phyllis. "So, ma honey is rich." Slight smile.
"Our honey..." she politely corrects for Phyllis who smiles vaguely. Susan mouthing...No way...Amused grin, behind Phyllis...
"I can't help wondering...How did a nurse get so much? But I guess it's a family fortune passed on..."
Cicely Afanas, passing, sipping at her wine glass, slight smile to camera as she hears, remembering her and Rosa cleaning out several vampiric estates...
Hey, the humans it was stolen from or the family human and vampiral were all dead, right...? The thirties were hard times then, one made the most of opportunities...
"Well, we head back tomorrow. I'm relieved." Susan notes. "Can't wait to see everyone and be sure they're ok. But I am worried for Gui. This is going to be a tough one and I know he'll be in the forefront, fighting for our guys. And can we be sure the Slayer will pause..."
"Yes, very nice service...I'm Susan, Guillermo's fiancée, wonderful to meet you." She beams at relative who'd paused to greet her.
"Yeah, I'm not sure the Slayer...Dracula's daughter...Will pause to check who's human and not, among our people, at least in the chief minion who may count for her as vamp or near vamp..." sigh. "But I'm ready. I've agreed with Gui that it wouldn't be wise to take her father on now but I'm not leaving his side till the Hunters, Slayer, Van Helsing, the whole crew, including that other vampire, Devious are gone or all dead. Or I'll die with Gui, fighting by his side."
"So will I." Phyllis notes. "Dracula's what...?" she eyes Susan.
...
Meanwhile, in Manhattan...
A Starbucks in the theater district...
"So?" sip of coffee.
"So?"
"Traitor, you called me to meet you. I'm waiting...And fully protected, if you brought friends, I assure you." Claude, leader of the Vampire Hunter group Guillermo had infiltrated earlier this year eyes Lesley, Simon's human so and descendant of Van Helsing.
The foulest of traitors, by his lights...
"Claude...I'm not pulling anything. I'm trying to help you, just like I said when I left." Lesley sighs.
"By betraying your ancestry, your friends...Humanity itself. In exchange for what? Immortality and sex with Simon the Devious."
"My great-great-etc was willing to negotiate with Simon..." she notes. "Why can't you?"
"What the great Van Helsing does to save his descendant is his business. Ours is the mission."
"Guillermo de la Cruz..." she begins.
"He didn't know his Destiny. He's passed all our tests this past year and the Count confirms he's on board for Operation Redemption X4. Don't compare yourself to him." Narrow stare.
"I'm trying to keep you and those idiots of yours from getting killed."
"Bullshit. You're protecting Simon the Devious and your little deal with him." Claude sneers. "You know better than anyone my team is a crack division, we just held back to test Guillermo, who stepped up and met his Fate like a true Van Helsing, saving us that night in the test house. And you know, we're the tip of the iceberg. When we move on this one, your boyfriend is deader meat if he and his get in our way."
"Simon isn't going to interfere with your killing them..." she tries.
"We're 'killing' no one. We know he wants to prevent our rescue mission." Claude, grimly. "You have your ancestor's pledge of protection and that keeps you hands off so long as you don't engage us, but if he gets in my sights. He's dust."
"It's not fair...The Slayer had a vampire husband." she frowns. "And Simon's not the worst of them...He..."
"He has the same chance for the big R as any of them. And Cicely's husband was betrayed and murdered and wrongly cursed. She never protected William the Bloody, only her husband's William's soul." Claude, rising to his feet. "Thanks for the coffee. Don't get in our way. Lesley? I mean it. I'm not your ancestor. You try to get in the way of this mission and you'll be hurt. Maybe not just emotionally."
"Are you threatening me, Claude?" she eyes him.
"I'm telling you to keep out of this. Saving you is not my business, we're no longer friends or colleagues. Saving you, I leave to the Doctor, your ancestor, if he can. But I won't have the Corps or the Slayer in danger because a traitor wants to protect her vampiric lover."
"We're not lovers...Yet..." She shrugs. "Simon is old-fashioned, he wants to marry me first. After he deals with the Cravensworths and Relentless. Claude? What's the big deal? You want them dust, he wants them dust."
"We aren't dusting them, Lesley. He knows that and you know that. We're saving them. This is your last warning. Keep out of this. The Slayer won't spare you or Simon. Tell him to get over the Cravensworths and Relentless."
"He can't bear to see them win redemption. What have they done that they deserve it?" she glares.
"Many things. But for us and the Council it's enough that Dracula, the Slayer, and Guillermo believe in them. If Simon wants Redemption, Lesley, it's always there. He just has to ask for it and mean it. You, too. I hope we don't see each other again. It may not end well." He leaves her standing.
"Saul says hello." He called, pausing at the door. "You broke his heart but he hopes you'll find your way back one day."
...
"Derek?" Claude pauses outside the Starbucks to call to Derek, his fellow teammate in alleyway.
"What did she want?"
"Get us to back off and leave them to Simon as we expected."
Derek nods... "It's a shame. I hope we don't have to..."
"Me too. But she chose her path. May the Doctor protect her."
"Right..." closes notebook.
"New poem?" Claude eyes him.
"I'm tryin'...It's a reworking of 'To Cicely'...You think she'll recognize it?"
"Are you kidding? She still knows every line you ever wrote by heart..." Claude, taking proffered notebook, with smile.
Reading...
"'My heart expands...Tis grown a bulge in it...Inspired by...
Your beauty effulgent...'?" sigh. Stare...
"I still can't believe you were once William Shakespeare." Claude shakes head. "But if I know Althea...She'll rave over it..."
"You think she'll mind my not being blonde this time?" Derek sighs. "The other night I dreamed I remember she loved the blonde, last time."
"Seems to me you're a bit more her William this way, minus the wild hair. Just give her time to grow up a little more, Derek. And you stay out of this mission." Stern look. "There'll be plenty of time for you to impress her later. She needs her time to grow up. And you need practice..."
"Just glad she didn't see me with Guillermo and you guys." Sigh. "I know I was good at killing vamps before...And people too, I guess..." rueful sigh.
"Just be glad I got you out that night." Claude frowns. "Most of the team including Guillermo still don't know you survived. But it's just as well now you know who you were."
"I still think I should be there, to look out for Althea."
"Derek...You're more liability to her than help right now. Her dad and the rest of us will have her back. Get some practice, let her get her education. Unbelievable as it is, she's not going to choose anyone over you, believe me."
"You were really surprised, weren't you?" Derek eyes him. "That it was me?"
"That night?...Yeah..." sigh. "In retrospect? Not really. You have a habit of showing up in the least likely forms, Will."
"And you're always in the form of bloody Christ saving the masses, Angel." Grin.
...
"Oh, Guillermo..." Dr. Acura came to him as he reentered the living room, nodding greetings to several relatives and family friends.
Enrique, in corner, getting angrily drunk, glaring after him...
"I have some news, from Althea..." smile. "It seems we're invited to dine with your friends back home, at their new place. She's tentatively accepted and I heartily agreed. I'm so looking forward to seeing Nandor Relentless again. Should be a wonderful evening, eh?"
Uh...Guillermo blinks.
"Don't worry, son. A truce will be in effect on both sides. And Nandor wants to discuss Redemption which is wonderful." Dr. Acura beams. "Can you believe it? The old fellow wants to offer himself for the Cravensworths and the young ladies? He's done it, almost, Guillermo...We just have to get him over the hump."
"Yeah. Uh...What about...?"
"We'll see, but I feel confident the Cravensworths can be saved as well...You should be proud, Guillermo." Fond nod. "It's you who's largely responsible for encouraging my old friend's steady return to Humanity these last eleven years. Don't fear, all is going well."
"Nandor wants to die for Laszlo and Nadja...And the ladies?" Guillermo stares.
"I knew he could do it, Guillermo. There was always a trace of remorse and humanity to him. But don't worry, this will be simply a discussion and I think, a very pleasant evening. I understand it's quite a nice place they've taken."
"Yeah..." Guillermo blinks. "So, it won't be...?"
"Not yet, I think. Though I can't swear as to when..." Dracula nods. "You'd best go see Miss Susan, she's getting anxious again. Tell her all's well. Ah, I can't wait to see Nandor again. And have him meet Althea."
Guillermo eyeing camera.